Door-operating mechanism for railway-cars.



S. OTIS.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1910.

1,129,41 Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3SHEETS$HEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS Co.v PHOTO-LITHOH WASHING rmvv D. c

S. OTIS.

DOOR OPERATING MEOHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.19,,1910.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

LIQQAQL 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

mgiss.

S. OTIS.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1910.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

LEQQAQL I MQWF THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGIDN. D. C

SPENCER OTIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO NATIONAL DUMP CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION MAINE.

DOOR-OPERATING- lVLECI-IANISM FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed March 19, 1910. Serial No. 550,378.

cars wherein the doors constitute the entire or a part of the bottom of the car.

The invention as illustrated in the drawings is more especially intended for use in connection with cars of the central dump type, wherein the doors constitute the bot tom of the car and are pivotally arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car and swing away from each other, permitting the load to dump beneath the center of the car.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism that is simple and positive in its operation and whereby all the doors may be simultaneously controlled through the operation of the mechanism from one side of the car, both to dump the load and also to re turn the doors to closed position, as will more fully appear from the drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a dump car with'my improvements secured thereto and showing the doors closed. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking toward the right of the figure. Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking down on the operating mechanism; a portion of the shafts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4. l of Fig. 2, looking to the left of the figure, showing merely one side or portion of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the device employed for operating the mechanism, and which is shown in the drawing as preferably secured at the end of the dumping section of the car.

The invention is shown as applied to a hopper car having flat bottom doors A, A,

which are hinged at a, a, to opposite sides of the car, the doors being so formed as to permit them to extend about the longitudinal girders at the sides of the car and present a flat surface at the bottom of the hopper as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These doors are shown as meeting at the longitudinal center line of the car, thus dividing the bottom into swinging sections on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line, one or more doors being employed. The doors are each provided with a beveled block or cam b, a short distance from the free end thereof,

. which blocks 1) also have a horizontal surface I adapted to abut against the operating mechanism when the doors are closed, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the location of the cam being at a point corresponding with the limit of the movement of the operating mechanism toward the longitudinal center line of the car.

Suitably secured to the frame or body of the car and extending transversely thereof to a point near the center, are the U-shaped brackets B, B, the said brackets being alined as shown, and forming tracks for the reciprocating members of the operating mechanism. Secured to the frame or to said brackets, as desired, and extending entirely across the bottom of the car, are the web-plates C; these plates being so secured, with relation to the brackets, as to leave a space intervening, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2. Mounted in this intervening space and extending lengthwise of the car beneath the doors A, A, are shafts D, D, which are intended to roll or reciprocate bodily on the U-shaped brackets. The brackets, together with the web-plates, form runways for said shafts and maintain them in proper position. The ends of the shafts D, D, are each provided with the small sprocket-wheel c and the larger sprocket wheel (Z. The U-shaped brackets are provided with the predeterminedly spaced and horizontally extending pins or studs 6, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and more clearly seen in Fig. 3. These studs form a rack with which the sprocket wheels a mesh when the shafts D, D are made to move in a direction transverse of the car.

Suitably secured at both sides of the car are the V-shaped brackets E, which, together with the extended portions or lugs on the brackets B, B, provide bearings for the revoluble pintles or stub-axles f, which may be held in the brackets in any suitable manner; while stub-axles f are secured to the underframe of the car, as shown in Fig. 3, and preferably revolubly mounted. Mounted on the pintles or stub-axles f, on both sides and ends of the car, and on the stub-axles f at the center of the car, are sprockets g, 9, see Figs. 2 andS; which sprockets are keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the stub-aXles f and f so as to rotate therewith.

Taking about the sprockets g and g, at one side of the longitudinal center line of the car, is sprocket-chain F; while a sprocketchain F takes about thesprocket wheels 9 and g at the opposite side of the longitudinal center line, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. and g the opposite side of the longitudinal center line, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These chains F, F, also mesh with the sprocket wheels 68, mounted on the shafts or reciprocating members D, D. It is apparent from this description that any operation of sprocket wheels 9, will move shaft D, or D, through the medium of the sprocket chain F, or F. In order, however, that the doors at both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car may be operated at the same time and with a single operation, I provide the stub-axles f, located at the longitudinal center line of the car, with the gears h which mesh with each other. With this construction both dumping sections of the car may now be operated at the sametime by a single operation of the operating mechanism to be described.

Preferably secured to the stub-axles at the ends of the dumping sections of the car, to-wit; on the stub-axles f, are the ratchet wheels j, k, which are securely fastened to the stub-axles or pintles 7, so as to impart movement to the axles or pintles when the ratchets are rotated. Loosely mounted on the pintle f is the pawl-carrying member G, of any suitable construction, for example as shown in Fig. 5; and I prefer to provide a pawl-carrying member at both ends of the dump sections of the car, as shown. Pivotally mounted in said member G, is the pawl Z, this pawl being free to swing to either side of its pivotal point and provided with the two engaging ends or faces, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, so as to permit it to have operative relation with the star-wheel or ratchet y', when swung to either side of its pivotal point. This manner of constructing the pawl, together with the star ratchetwheel j, permits of the stub-axles 7 being rotated in both directions. Member G is adapted to receive the end of a lever or red (in order to give suflicient leverage) when it is intended to rotate the stub-axles with the sprockets.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Member G (which may be located at either end of the car) is oscillated about its pivotal point, with the pawl Z, of course, in operative relation with star ratchet-wheel j and swung to the proper side of its pivotal point; this oscillation of member Gr, will revolve stub-axle f and with it the sprocket g, which in turn moves sprocket chain F, which. takes about sprocket g and also engages with sprocket d, secured to shaft D. By reason of the gears h, secured to stub-axles f, meshing with each other, it is evident that the rotation of sprocket 9' through the movement of sprocket chain F, will rotate the adjacent sprocket and its chain F, which latter engages with sprocket cl secured to shaft D. The continued operation of the sprocket chains F and F will force the shafts D and D to move in opposite directions along the tracks B, B; the small sprockets on the shafts meshing with the teeth or studs of the rack and thereby maintaining a positive movement of the shafts on their respective tracks. The shafts D and D being moved from beneath the horizontal edge or face of the cams I), will permit the doors to drop gradually and swing into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the shafts D and D have reached the outer end of the tracks. In order to close the doors, the pawl l, secured to pawl-carrying member G, is swung to the other side of its pivotal point, and the member G again oscillated; this operation will move the sprocket chains F and F in the opposite direction from that in which they moved to open the doors, thereby reciprocating members or shafts D, 1), toward the center of the car(when the doors are pivoted as shown in the drawings); these members bear against the under surface of the doors and force the latter upward, transmitting the load on the doors to the load-carrying members or frame of the car. By reason of the cam, the movement of the shafts or members is not interrupted until they reach the limit of the track or runway in the loadcarrying frame or members of the car. WVhere a reciprocating member or shaft is employed to operate the pivoted doors, and especially where the member or shaft does not pass beyond the space intermediate of the vertical planes of the pivotal points and the inner or free ends of the doors, it is necessaryin order to allow the doors to open sufficientlyto have the member mounted a little below the door bottom; this is especially true in connection with the doors of the car illustrated in the drawings. It is therefore necessary, in order to force the doors to an entirely closed position, that some means, such as cam Z), be employed, secured to the free end of the door, for example, as shown, In order to lock the operating mechanism and the doors in closed position against any accidental movement, and also while the members are being moved to closed position, the ratchet 72 is provided, which ratchet, as previously stated, is keyed to stub-axle f. Mounted on the frame, as shown in Fig. 1 for example, is a pawl m, which engages with ratchet 7c and looks it, together with stub-axle f and sprocket 9 against movement in the direction of opening the doors. In order, therefore, to operate the mechanism when it is desired to open the doors, it is necessary to disengage the pawl m with ratchet 7c. Any suitable means may be employed to keep the chains F, F, down and onto the sprockets cal, and prevent the chains snapping or springing off the sprockets when the former are taut. To accomplish this result, the plates C may be provided with a suitable number of lugs secured thereto, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, at n.

It is apparent from the foregoing description, that all the dumping sections or doors of the car are simultaneously operated through the oscillation of member G; one stroke of the member G, operates ratchet j, togethed with the chains and sprockets, when the pawl Z, is in the position shown in Fig. 5, while the other or opposite stroke of the member G will operate the various parts when the pawl Z is swung to the other side of its pivotal point; for example, the upward stroke may be made to rotate the shafts in a direction to open the doors, while the downward stroke, when the pawl is swung, will rotate the shafts in a direction to close the doors.

The pawl-carrying member G and pawl may be of any suitable construction; the end of the member may be so constructed as to take into an end of a pipe or a socket of a lever; and instead of having the mechanism so constructed as to operate from the end of the dumping section, as shown and described, the mechanism may be operated from the center of the car side, as is readily apparent from the nature of the mechanism. Furthermore, the invention is not restricted to dump cars of the particular type illustrated, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described, as a number of alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I wish to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:-

1. A car provided with doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, members extending lengthwise of the doors and in constant engagement with the bottoms thereof, and flexible means operatively connected with said members and arranged to move about fixed points located at the car sides and in proximity to the longitudinal center line of the car, whereby the latter are simultaneously moved toward or away from the pivotal points of the doors.

2. A car provided with downwardly swinging oppositely disposed doors on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car, members mounted beneath the doors, arranged to move transversely of the car intermediate of the sides and longitudinal center line of the car to control the position of the doors, means rotatably mounted on fixed axes at the sides of the car and operatively connected with said members whereby said members are controlled, and mechanism whereby the operation of said means on either side of the car will control the position of the members on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car.

3. A car having an unobstructed central longitudinal opening, doors hinged at the I car sides and extending across the opening, members mounted beneath the doors and adapted to move bodily in a horizontal direction transversely of the car, said members supporting the doors and transmitting the load to the load-carrying frame of the car, and mechanism rotatably mounted on the car frame and having sprocket and chain connection with said members whereby the latter are moved to different points beneath the doors.

l. Qperating mechanism for the doors of a dump car comprising members movable horizontally and transversely of the car and in constant engagement with the bottoms of the doors, flexible means adapted to travel transversely of the car and about fixed points located at the sides and longitudinal center line of the car and having operative connection with said members, whereby the members may be moved toward or away from the pivotal points of the doors, and mechanism whereby the means at opposite sides of the car center are operatively connected together.

5. Operating mechanism for the doors of a dump car comprising tracks extending from the sides toward the longitudinal center line of the car and beneath the same, mechanism adapted to move on said tracks and have engagement with the bottoms of the doors, means located at the side of the car and operatively connected with said mechanism whereby the latter is recipro cated along said tracks and mechanism intermediate of oppositely disposed tracks, whereby the door-engaging mechanism on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car will be simultaneously operated.

6. Operating mechanism for the doors of a dump car consisting of means mounted beneath the doors and adapted to reciprocate bodily intermediate 0f the sides and longitudinal center line of'the car, mechanism adapted to travel intermediate the sides and longitudinal center line of the car and. in contact with said means, and means located intermediate of the car sides whereby the reciprocation of the means on one side of the longitudinal center line of the car will be communicated to the means on the other side of the longitudinal center line.

7. In a car provided with downwardly swinging doors, oppositely disposed members adapted to reciprocate bodily between the longitudinal center line and the sides of the car and supporting the doors, means for compelling a positive movement of said members relative to the ends of the doors, mechanism located at the car sides and having flexible connection with said members, and means intermediate of the members at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car, whereby a simultaneous operation of said members is had.

8. A car provided with a central longitudinal opening, doors hinged adjacent the sides forming a horizontal bottom extending across the opening, a load-carrying frame extending transversely beneath the car in a horizontal direction, members mounted in said frame to move intermediate of the sides and longitudinal center line of the ear and beneath the doors, whereby the load on the latter is transmitted through the former to said frame, flexible mechanism adapted to travel transversely of the car and rotate about fixed pivotal points located at the sides and longitudinal center line of the car, said mechanism having operative relation with said members, and means located at the sides of the car adapted to be oscillated, whereby said mechanism will be operated.

9. In a car provided with downwardly swinging doors, members on both sides of the car extending lengthwise of the bottoms of the doors and in constant engagement therewith, said members being arranged to move intermediate of the longitudinal center line and the sides of the car, mechanism mounted on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car and in constant engagement with said members and adapted to travel transversely of the car about fixed points located intermediate of the longitudinal center line and the opposite sides of the ear, and means whereby the movements of the mechanism on one side of the longitudinal center line of the car is transmitted to the mechanism on the opposite side and the members moved in opposite directions.

10. Operating mechanism for the downwardly swinging doors of a car, comprising rotatably mounted members located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car and arranged to move transversely of the car in constant contact with the doors, mechanism revolubly mounted at the side of the car, sprocket and chain connection intermediate said mechanism and the members, and means for transmitting the motion of the member on one side of the longitudinal center line of the car to the member on the opposite side.

11. A car provided with an unobstructed central longitudinal opening, doors hinged at the car sides and forming a horizontal bottom extending across the opening, tracks extending from opposite sides toward the longitudinal center line of the car, members rotatably mounted on said tracks, mechanism taking about pivotal points at the sides and adjacent to the longitudinal center line of the car, said mechanism being arranged to rotate about said pivotal points and have controlling contact with the members, and means located at the sides of the car in contact with said mechanism and adapted to oscillate, whereby the mechanism is rotated when the means is oscillated.

12. In a car provided with downwardly swinging doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car, tracks extending from the opposite sides toward the longitudinal center line of the car, members mounted on said tracks and extending lengthwise of the doors, chains located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car and adapted to rotate about pivotal points at the sides and in proximity to the longitudinal center line of the ear, said chains having controlling connection with said members, mechanism intermediate of the oppositely disposed chains whereby the operation of the chains and members on one side will operate the chains and members on the other side of the longitudinal center line of the car.

13. In a car provided with downwardly swinging doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car, horizontal tracks extending from opposite sides toward the longitudinal center line of the car, members mounted on and having rack and pinion connection with the tracks, chains extending about pivotal points arranged at both ends of the tracks, said chains having controlling connection with the members, mechanism intermediate 01 the inner ends of oppositely disposed tracks whereby the chains on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car are rotated in opposite directions and the oppositely arranged doors simultaneously operated.

14:. A car provided with downwardly swinging doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line thereof, members mounted beneath the doors and on both sides of said longitudinal center line, said members being adapted to reciprocate bodily in the same horizontal plane, the relation between the members and doors being such that the movement of the one will be in conformity with the movement of the other, flexible means a portion whereof is adapted to travel intermediate of' the sides and the longitudinal center line of the car whereby said members are reciprocated, and mecha nism intermediate of the members at opposite sides of the center whereby the operation of the members and doors at opposite sides of said center will be simultaneous.

15. A car provided with downwardly swinging doors hinged adjacent the car sides and forming a horizontal bottom, members mounted at each side of the center beneath the doors, means intermediate of the members and door-bottoms whereby the doors are brought to a closed position, and mechanism rotatably mounted in proximity to the longitudinal center line of the car operable from the side of the car and flexibly connected with the members whereby the doors on both sides of the longitudinal center of the car are operated.

16. A car provided with downwardly swing doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line thereof, members mounted on both sides of said center line and supporting the doors, means intermediate of the members and bottoms of the doors whereby the latter are finally brought to a closed position, means extending from the car sides toward the longitudinal center line thereof and arranged to travel about fixed points at the sides and substantially at the longitudinal center line of the car whereby said members are rotated and moved transversely of the car, and mechanism operatively engaging with said means whereby the members on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line are operated simultaneously.

17. A car having an unobstructed central longitudinal opening, doors hinged adj acent the car sides forming a horizontal bottom extending across said opening, a displaceable supporting means for said doors through which the load on the doors is transmitted to the load-carrying members of the car, operating mechanism pivotally mounted at the side of the car, and a flexible connection extending between said operating mechanism and supporting means and arranged to travel transversely of the car.

18. A car having doors hinged adjacent the car sides and forming a horizontal bottom, a supporting member 011 each side of the longitudinal center line of the car, both of which members are movably mounted beneath the doors, an operating device at the side of the car, a flexible connection between the device and supporting member, and mechanism whereby movement of the flexible connection on one side of the longitudi nal center line of the car will be transmitted to the flexible connection on the opposite side of the longitudinal center line of the car and the supporting members on both sides of said longitudinal center line simultaneously operated.

19. A car having doors hinged adjacent the car sides and forming a horizontal bottom, load-carrying members extending transversely beneath the car-bottom and provided with tracks or run-ways extending horizontally at a prearranged distance below the doors, means movably mounted in the run-ways on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car whereby the load on the doors is transmitted to said members, operating mechanism located at the car sides, a flexible connection arranged to travel about said mechanism and about fixed points located substantially at the longitudinal center line of the car, and means whereby the operation of said mechanism from either side of the car will simultaneously operate the means on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the car.

20. A car having doors hinged adjacent the car sides and forming a horizontal bot tom, load-carrying members extending transversely beneath the car and provided with horizontally extending tracks or runways at a prearranged distance below the doors, oppositely disposed means mounted in the runways whereby the doors are supported and their loads transmitted to said members, operating mechanism located at the car sides and flexibly connected with said means, and mechanism pivotally mounted substantially at the longitudinal center line of the car and intermediate of the oppositely disposed means, whereby the latter are operatively connected together.

21. A center dump hopper oar having a' horizontal floor composed of doors hinged adjacent the sides of the car, a shaft located on each side of the longitudinal center line of the car and beneath the doors for operating and supporting them, an operating device for said shafts, said operating device bemg mounted adjacent the sides of the car and comprising a lever, flexible connections arranged to travel transversely of the car be tween the lever and fixed pivotal points arranged to the opposite sides of the shafts, whereby the shafts are simultaneously moved on each upward or downward stroke of the lever.

22. A center dump car having a horizontal floor composed of doors hinged adjacent the sides of the car, a shaft located on each side of the longitudinal center line of the car beneath the doors for operating and supporting them, an operating device mounted adjacent the sides of the car and comprising a lever, a controlling connection between the lever and shaft whereby the latter is moved on each upward or downward stroke of the lever, and mechanism located substantially at the longitudinal center line of the car and intermediate of the shafts located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the car, whereby both shafts are simulta- [0 to support the same, flexible means arranged to travel transversely of the car and having operative connection with the shafts, said means being operable from the car side, and mechanism whereby the simultaneous operation of the shafts on both sides of the longi- 15 tudin al center line of the car is induced.

SPENCER OTIS. Witnesses:

M. E. STOUTENBOUGH, WV. J. RYAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G. 

